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‘Be The Athlete No One Saw Coming’ New campaign from Under Armour aims to help fuel self-confidence in youth athletes and provide new opportunities to forge their own path to greatness—no comparisons necessary
A segment on a sports show. A whisper on the sideline. A post on a social media feed. Athletes experience comparisons everywhere concerning just about anything—their form, their record, their presence on the team. Which All-Star do they most resemble? How does their technique stack up to the Greats? Will they be the GOAT or a bust? Comparisons are no longer used for context, they’re now confused with competition.
Combating this long-standing and increasingly toxic trend, Under Armour has created a rallying cry to fuel self-confidence in youth athletes by empowering them to Be The Athlete No One Saw Coming in their latest campaign. Focused on encouraging young athletes to look beyond the comparisons and focus on their biggest competition – the athlete in the mirror – the campaign marks another important milestone in Under Armour’s ongoing mission to make athletes better.
“Being the Athlete No One Saw Coming is about focus, confidence, and grit—all of which are traits we want to instill in the next generation. We’re connecting directly with youth athletes at the start of another important fall sports season to remind them that they shouldn’t try to mimic their idols, they should foster their talent and become the best possible version of themselves.”- Paul Nugent – SVP Global Brand Marketing & Category, Under Armour
To bring this campaign to life, Under Armour is uniting a mix of voices and performance-focused action to ensure inspiration is backed by tangible gains. Who better to embody the spirit and grit of the Athlete No One Saw Coming than the original himself—Tom Brady. From the 199th overall pick to the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, Brady’s legendary career hinges on his ability to focus solely on his game and be his own biggest competition. Now, after 22 years in the game, Tom is working with Under Armour to remind future GOATs that they shouldn’t aspire to be the next him or the next anybody, they should aspire to be the next version of themselves. Tom Brady’s open letter to young athletes takes on a new life through a film in which another legend of their craft, Morgan Freeman, narrates this empowering manifesto.
“For young athletes today, there are more distractions coming up through the ranks than there were for me. I wasn’t a prodigy. I had to really work hard to put myself in a position to succeed. The best way for the next generation of athletes to succeed is to block out the noise and focus on being the best versions of themselves.” – Tom Brady
But just inspiring the next generation is not enough. In order for Under Armour to live its mission to make athletes better and deliver on the brand’s Access to Sport commitment, the UA Athlete No One Saw Coming Grant will provide youth athletes with the opportunity to improve their performance on their journey to compete. The grant will award 10 determined young athletes with a $5,000 grant, the opportunity to participate in an in-person performance experience at a UA campus and gear for a year. Youth athletes ages 14-17 living in the United States and participating in organized competition are eligible to enter by submitting a 150-word write-up about their athletic journey.
Source: Under Armour
